Still Making Strides for Women – This Time with the Navy’s Blue Angels

It was an exciting weekend during the Marine Corps Beaufort Air Show. Not only the amazing performance from the Navy's Blue Angels, but also a first for the flight team - it was the first time a woman was one of the pilots in the show.

(Rob O'Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau via Getty Images)

The Blue Angels have been wowing crowds all over the country since 1946, but this is the first time they had a woman join their team. Women have been pilots in the American military for more than 20 years now, but none have made the honors of being a Blue Angel pilot... That is, until now.

Now, it wasn't an equality issue. Commander of the Blue Angels, Captain Tom Frosch says it wasn't that they weren't ready to have a female pilot, they just needed to find the right person.

Well, it looks like they found the right person. Marine Corps Captain Katie Higgins took to the air with the Navy's Blue Angels last weekend at their air show in South Carolina. Higgins told CBS News,

"I think by including a lady on the team, that just shows little girls and guys that women can do whatever they put their mind to,"

..."Little girls have told me that they didn't even know that ladies could fly aircraft, that women could be in the cockpit."

Higgins went on to say that she didn't join the team to break any barriers. That's exactly what she ended up doing, though. Flying has always been in Higgins blood, as she is a third-generation military aviator. She saw the Blue Angels fly when she was younger and was inspired by them. Now, she can be the inspiration for young men and women everywhere!